Obituaries
Published 2:55 am Tuesday, December 6, 2005
for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004
Kristen Elizabeth Bessinger
DIXIE — Kristen Elizabeth Bessinger, 17, of Dixie died Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, in Savannah.
Born in Jacksonville, Fla., she was the daughter of Robert Wayne and Harriett Holly Lucas Bessinger. She was a student.
She is survived by her parents, Wayne and Holly Bessinger of Dixie; six sisters and brothers, Hannah Bessinger, Ivy Bessinger, Jab Bessinger, Josiah Bessinger, Joel Bessinger and Mary Bessinger, all of Dixie; maternal grandparents; Hazel and Ivy Lucas of Dixie; paternal grandparents, Jim and Faye Bessinger of Lake City, Fla.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., today, Feb. 3 at the Dixie Baptist Church with the Rev. Bobby Carswell officiating. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Quitman. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. at the church. — Maxwell-Miller Funeral Home, Quitman
James Wilbur McAllister
ST. MARYS — James Wilbur McAllister, 86, passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004. He was born on Oct. 25, 1917, in Brooks County to the late James and Alice Wilson McAllister. He graduated from Barney High School in 1934, completed his undergraduate degree from Middle Georgia College and Georgia Southern. His graduate degrees were completed at Vanderbilt University and Florida State University and received an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from LaGrange College.
He was a well-known and highly respected educator in Georgia for more than 43 years. He served as state president of both of the state’s teacher’s organizations, the Georgia Education Association and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. He was state president of the Georgia Association of School Superintendents, a member of Phi Delta Kappa where he was presented the Distinguished Service Award in 1983. He was a district director of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. Mr. McAllister taught at Echols County High School, Pavo High School and the Laboratory High School at Georgia Southern. He was the principal of Tifton High School where he also served as the girl’s basketball coach, was supervising principal of the schools in Bainbridge, superintendent of the Troup County schools and retired as superintendent of the LaGrange City School System. Mr. McAllister was a member of the Rotary Club in Bainbridge and LaGrange, having served as president of the Bainbridge Rotary Club and was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a board member of the State YMCA. Mr. McAllister was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church serving as a deacon and Sunday School teacher.
Mr. McAllister was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Ola Balkcom McAllister, and is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, K.K. and Vance McLaughlin of St. Marys; son, Jim McAllister of Athens; granddaughter and her husband, Ansley and Mark Anderson of Omaha, Neb.; grandson, Brad Youmans of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; stepgrandson, Jim McLaughlin of LaGrange; brother, Guy McAllister of Valdosta; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in Oak Hill Cemetery in Quitman with the Rev. Guy McAllister Jr. officiating. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1925 Century Blvd., NE, Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30345-3315. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
Sandra L. McCracken
PERRY, Fla. — Sandra L. McCracken, 63, of Perry, Fla., passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, at Health South in Tallahassee following a brief illness. Sandra was born in Arcadia, Fla., and was a former resident of Jasper, Fla., where she attended high school. She later moved to Perry where she lived most of her life.
Survivors include her son, Ralph McCracken of Perry, Fla.; her daughter, Karen Lynn French, Hinesville; her father, Ralph Willis, Dunnellon, Fla.; four grandchildren, R.J. and Austin McCracken, Jeremy Burnett and Cody French.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in Oak Grove Cemetery near Jennings, Fla. The family will receive friends from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday just prior to the service at Harry T. Reid Funeral Home. — Harry T. Reid Funeral Home, Jasper, Fla.
Nell Mizell
HOMERVILLE — Nell Mizell, 77, of Homerville, formerly of Kirkland, passed away Monday at the home of her daughter in Valdosta following an extended illness.
Born July 12, 1926, in Ware County, Mrs. Mizell was the daughter of Raymond “Cato” and Belle Powell Giddens. She had worked for many years at Cady Industries in Pearson and was a member of Lang County Church. Her husband Spencer Mizell preceded her in death.
Survivors include four daughters, Reba Mizell (Donald) of Axson, Ga., Sue McClellan (Ronald), Latrelle Peters (Robert), all of Valdosta, Audrey Swilley (Gary), Savannah; three sisters, Barbara McGill, St. Pauls, N.C., Christine Webb, Linda Giddens, both of Jacksonville, Fla.; two brothers, Riley Lloyd Giddens, Johnny Giddens, both of Douglas; eight grandchildren; six stepgrandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral services for Mrs. Mizell will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lang Country Church with the Rev. Clyde Purvis and the Rev. George O’Berry officiating. Burial will follow in Lang Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-9 p.m. today at Relihan Funeral Home in Pearson. — Relihan Funeral Home, Pearson
Norman E. ‘Norm’ Myers Jr.
VALDOSTA — Norman E. “Norm” Myers Jr., 59, of Valdosta since 1985, and formerly of Deshler, Ohio, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2004, from injuries sustained in an tractor-trailer accident. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Riverview Memorial Gardens. The Rev. Barry Hall and Wayne Lanier will officiate. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 7-9 p.m. today at the Carson McLane Funeral Home.
Mr. Myers was born on June 26, 1944, in Lima, Ohio, the son of the late Norman Earl Myers Sr. and Helen Jeanne McCandless. He had served with the Ohio National Guard and in his earlier years he drove ARCA, Midget and Sprint Cars. He was employed by Wal-mart as a truck driver and he loved to go fishing.
Survivors are his loving wife, Barbara of Valdosta, whom he loved so much; a son, Douglas A. Myers of North Baltimore, Ohio; a daughter, Sherry R. Myers of Deshler, Ohio; stepdaughters, Cynthia (Paul) Whitmer, Christine (Kevin) Rumph, Mindy (Kevin) Sparrow, all of Valdosta; grandchildren, Jessica and Jenilee Myers of Ohio; stepgrandchildren, Kevin Jr., Tiffany and Dalton Rumph, Trey, Paulette, Paul Jr., and Michael Whitmer, all of Valdosta; sister, Diane (Ken) Shidler of Leipsic, Ohio, brothers, Gary (Patricia) Myers of Deshler, Ohio, Dennis Myers and Joseph (Nancy) Myers, Leipsic, Ohio; several nieces and nephews. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
Samuel Gordon Rogers Jr.
RICHMOND HILL — Samuel Gordon Rogers Jr., 92, of Richmond Hill died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, at Tift Health Care.
He was born on May 10, 1911, in Perry to the late Samuel Gordon Rogers Sr. and Sue Wellons Rogers. Mr. Rogers was a veteran of World War II, U.S. Army Medical Corps, a retired pharmacist, having practiced pharmacy in Florida and Georgia for more than 50 years; graduate of the University of Florida and the Southern School of Pharmacy. He lived in Miami, Fla., until he was inducted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Third Army under General George Patton as a medic from 1944, until VE Day. Returning home, he moved to Valdosta where he practiced his profession until 1959, when he became a hospital pharmacist at Memorial Hospital in Waycross and then the chief pharmacist at the student Health Center at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. In 1990, he moved to Magnolia Manor on the Coast in Richmond Hill. He was a member of Richmond Hill United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife Lushia Lain Rogers of Richmond Hill; son and daughter-in-law, the Rev. Sam G. Rogers III, and Helen Rogers of Tifton; grandchildren, S. Gordon Rogers IV, and wife, Gina Rogers, Waynesville, Claire Rogers Cox and husband, Charles, Macon and Holland Rogers Markwalter and husband, Brian of Vienna, Va.; eight great-grandchildren, Quint Rogers, Jaime Rogers, Helen and Taylor Cox, and Chet, Daniel, Kyle, and Teace Markwalter. He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel Gordon Rogers Sr. and Sue Wellons Rogers, his first wife, Melba Holland Rogers and two sisters, Sue Rogers Rodgers and Kathryn Rogers Wade.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, at First United Methodist Church in Tifton with the Rev. Jerry Lilliard, the Rev. Sam Rogers III, the Rev. Jenny Jackson-Adams and the Rev. Steve Meguiar officiating. Burial will be held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, in Old City Cemetery, Nashville. Pallbearers will be Talmadge Webb, Frank McGill, Bo Miller, Dr. Robert Coleman, Dr. Hal Henderson, Harry Barrineau and Orville Ferrell. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Magnolia Manor on the Coast, 141 Timber Trail, Richmond Hill, GA 31324. — Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors-Tiftarea Chapel
Lavier Brinson
Lavier Brinson, 41, of Valdosta passed away on Friday, Jan. 30, 2004, at the South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time but will be announced later by Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home of Quitman.
Robert L. Freeman
Funeral services for Robert L. Freeman, 78, of Quitman, who died on Monday, Feb. 2, 2004, at Fellowship Home will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004, at the graveside in Riverview Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends prior to the service on Thursday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the Carson McLane Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dasher Heart Center. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
John David Luke Jr.
John David Luke Jr., 82, of Nashville, died Monday at the Berrien County Hospital. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Lovein Funeral Home, Nashville.
Ernest Napier Sr.
Ernest Napier Sr., 58, of Adel died Feb. 1, 2004, at his residence after a long illness. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. today in the chapel of Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home with the Rev. John Hendley officiating. Burial will be held in Fellowship Church Cemetery. — Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home, Adel